Neurodegenerative disease are characterised by a primarily age-related loss of nerve cells in the brain. This often leads to dementia (a decrease in mental abilities) and motor disorders. Naturally, older people are the main sufferers. Examples of neurodegenerative diseases are:

Connection to electromagnetic fields

Scientific investigations into whether or not there is a connection between EMFs and neurodegenerative diseases have been underway since the mid-1990s. A number of epidemiological studies have given indications that certain groups of professionals (such as electricians, electronics technicians, welders and railway workers) who are regularly subjected to low frequency magnet fields and other EMFs have a greater risk to be taken ill with Alzheimer or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)). A large-scale Swiss study found a possibly increased risk of Alzheimer or senile dementia for persons who have lived for many years close (within 50 metres) of a high tension power line. However recent results from Denmark do not Support the Swiss findings. The reasons for these connections have not been clarified. No biological mechanism is known whereby EMFs could give rise to neurodegenerative diseases. A recently published larger and more robust study could not confirm the Swiss findings. It is possible that electric shocks, to which electricians and other professions are exposed, could play a role in the connection to Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)). There are no indications of a possible connection between low frequency EMFs and Parkinson’s Disease’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis (Multiple Sclerosis (MS)). Equally there are no indications of a connection to high frequency EMFs.

Conclusions

The World Health Organisation (WHO) sees no reasons for a connection between electromagnetic fields and neurodegenerative diseases; however, for some endpoints the data is not very robust and further research would be required.

Mattsson, M.O., Simko, M. (2012). Is there a relation between extremely low frequency magnetic field exposure, inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases? A review of in vivo and in vitro experimental evidence. Toxicology, 301, 1-3, 1-12.

The Swiss Research Foundation for Electricity and Mobile Communication (FSM) is a non-profit-making foundation with the purpose of promoting scientific research into the chances and risks of radio and electric power technologies that produce and use electromagnetic fields.